


Ophiocordyceps

by BaronetCoins



Series: Liber Herbarum [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: (But like not a ton), (sorta) - Freeform, Angst, Body Horror, M/M, Mind Control, No it's not Hanahaki Disease even though it sounds like it at first, Plants, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-27 22:36:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19799158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronetCoins/pseuds/BaronetCoins
Summary: Ophiocordyceps: A genus of fungi known for the parasitic takeover of a host organism. Ophiocordyceps drives it's host to higher ground in order to grow its fruiting body and spread its spores across the landscape. The host does not survive.





	Ophiocordyceps

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick FYI- if you read Agapanthus, this one's jumped quite a bit ahead in the timeline of their relationship. I'll probably go back and do quite a lot of filling in between this one and that one.  
> Honestly? when I got to the end of this I was wondering if I should post it at all. But I poured my heart and soul into it, and now I'm just going to live with the universe consequences of what I've written. Be warned it gets pretty dark in spots.

“Hey! Flint!” Mint looked up from his squatting position and lifted a plant triumphantly. He teetered on his heels a bit, but righted himself and threw Flint a glowing smile.

Flint sighed as he turned around. “What are you doing with that?”

“I was gonna eat it.” He shook it off.

Flint rubbed at his eyes. “Please don’t. We don’t know if it’s safe.”

Mint tucked it into a pouch around his belt and stood up, brushing his hands off. He practically skipped over towards him. Flint’s eyes rolled. He turned onwards, and let Mint lead the way towards the set of coordinates they had been given. He stayed behind, eyes scanning the horizon of Mars for any sort of threat.

When he saw the flash of Vex chrome on the horizon, he whipped out his sniper rifle and took a quick shot. Mint turned back towards him and smiled widely.

“My hero! He shouted, blowing a kiss. “Darling, you saved me.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you looked at where you were going.” He smiled despite himself. Mint winked. “You know you love me.”

“Yeah, I love you. Even when you’re risking your neck.” Flint shook his head.

  


Flint stared up at the sky, spotting out Mars’s two small moons. He could see the small changes in the orientation of the constellations that turned the familiar around just enough to feel different. It combined with the low breeze rustling through the hills to send a shiver down his spine.It was only a sense of self-preservation that kept him from jumping a meter out of his skin when Mint’s icy hand touched his shoulder. He turned to see that the exo had prepared a little bit of food- warming and adding water to some dehydrated spaghetti. Mint handed him the pouch and a spork and sat down beside him, taking off his cloak to wrap it around them like a blanket. Flint felt his eyes grow a little heavier as Mint leaned his head against his shoulder. He gently redirected the shorter exo, taking away the packet of spaghetti as he helped lay him down into his sleeping bag. Mint blinked sleepily as Flint reached down to place a kiss on his forehead.

“Goodnight.” He whispered. Mint smiled, pressed a kiss to his cheek before wiping a stray leaf away from his mouth.

Flint sighed, tucking away the rest of the dinner things and crawling to sleep himself. Jasper moved over to hover in front of the cave entrance to keep watch, and he finally let himself relax just a little.

  


He opened his eyes to see Mint leaning over him. Flint sat up gently, moving him to a more comfortable seated position. Mint’s smile was cut short by an echoing cough that wracked his entire body. He reached around to pat his partners back and grimaced when he coughed again.

“How long have you been coughing?” Flint asked, feeling the nerves rise in his voice. Why hadn’t he noticed last night?

“Since about midnight.” Mint looked up at him.

“Why don’t you stay here while I call the Vanguard and pack up our belongings.” He moved to rise, but Mint pulled him back down.

“I’m fine.” He coughed again. “No need to cancel our mission because of me.” Flint stared at him for a good second or two. “You appear ill. Please don’t behave like a masochist.”

“It’s a vital mission, Flint. You can do it, right? If you need me, I can get up.” Mint struggled against his hand.

“If you believe that it’s the best course of action, I’m willing to complete it by myself.” Flint crossed his arms. “However, under no circumstances are you coming with me.”

Mint shrugged. “As long as we get off-world quickly. The wind is starting to creep me out.” He spared one last glance as he exited the cave, readjusting his holster. Mint waved weakly, turning the movement into another cough. The last thing he saw as he walked towards the given coordinates was Mints hand clutching a single green leaf.

  


“Flint!” Jasper yelled. “Hey, Flint! Flint!” Flint scowled at the ghost, readjusting his position and staring back down the sights.

“Not a good time.” He whispered under gritted teeth.

“I’m getting an emergency call from Seoirse! I figured you’d want to be alerted about _that. _” He snapped.__

__

“Put it through.” Flint’s stomach dropped straight through to the ground. His mind was already racing with the possibilities of what could possibly have gone wrong badly enough Mint’s ghost couldn’t fix it.

“Flint!” Seoirse’s panicked voice broke through the low moan of the wind. “Something’s gone wrong with Mint! He won’t listen to me- he won’t stop either. He just started walking towards where you had gone.”

“Slow down. Speak clearly. What’s happening, and where is he now.” Flint sucked in a breath.

“I’ll send Jasper the coordinates you’ve just gotta come fast. I don’t know what’s going! I just can’t fix it.” The poor ghost sounded ready to cry.

Flint held out his hand for his sparrow and jumped on, hurtling towards the given coordinates. Jasper wisely decided to keep his mouth shut, clearly seeing the grim stare Flint had as they sped across the Martian soil, blowing aside the occasional stray plant.

Slowly, a silhouette of a man wearing a cloak congealed out of the dust. Flint slid to a stop, letting the dirt billow behind him. His robes flared around his feet as he stepped off the sparrow and started walking forwards slowly.

The man in front of him staggered forward, feet dragging and tripping over rocks in the way. Flint eyed the drunken gait of Mint and quickened his stride, moving to support him. When Mint almost tripped over a rock, he moved from a quick walk to a sprint, closing the distance in a few fractions of a second.

Mint dragged himself off of the ground and tried to keep walking forward. He flung his arms around him, pinning him to the spot. Gingerly, he reached one hand to cup his face. Mint’s eyes flashed once and he fell right into Flint’s waiting arms. He pulled him in close to his chest and plucked a small leaf from off of his shoulder.

Seorise flew over to hover just above Mint’s head. He gave them a quick scan and visibly deflated. Flint didn’t even bother to ask what he could do. Mint whispered something into his shoulder.

“What was that?” He asked gently. He could see Mint struggling to grab the words. “I ate the plant.” He made the noise of a rasping breath. “I hear things. They want me to go to a gate. I don’t want to go.”

“Is that where you were going?” Flint rubbed his shoulder.

“I want to go home.” Mint sobbed a little. He rocked him as they slowly walked towards the sparrow. Flint slid Mint into position in front of him so that he could lean against him. He seemed to doze on and off as they flew across the landscape towards their parked ship. Mint slumped down in his arms.

He settled Mint into the seat in the back, tucking a blanket around the shivering exo. Seoirse flitted about anxiously as he and Jasper ran through the pre-flight checks. The homeward flight was hushed as though they were attending a wake.

  


Ikora and Cayde were both standing in the hangar alongside a stretcher when they landed. Flint stood, draping Mint’s mostly limp body over his shoulder and gently lowered them to the ground. Cayde rushed over, helping to bear the weight and get him situated on the stretcher. Flint moved to follow it as Cayde wheeled it away, but Ikora put her hand on his shoulder.

“Please. We need you to report on what happened.” She tightened her grip. “There’s nothing you can do by going with him.”

Flint cast a long look out towards the retreating figure of Cayde but followed her wordlessly to a small meeting room. She shut the door behind them, taking particular care to close the lock. He straightened his spine and stood in the middle of the room, waiting for her questions. They didn’t come. Instead, she pulled him into a tight hug.

“We’ll make this right.” She whispered. “I promise.”

He stood, arms at his side. “He’s sick, nobody knows what’s wrong with him, and even his ghost can’t figure it out. This is about as far from alright as things get.”

She patted his back. “It’s going to end up alright. We have intelligent people working on this.” “I just want him to be ok.” Flint leaned into her shoulder. “I want him to be ok.”

Ikora pulled out a chair and left him there, promising a cup of tea and that she would bring him news as soon as there was any to hear. He slumped into his chair, tracing idle patterns onto the conference table.

He drifted in and out of sleep, alone most of the time. Sometimes he’d open his eyes and see another guardian holding a cup of tea or a book or a message. Other times, the nervous energy would get to him badly enough he started playing with sparks in his hands just to release it. Regardless, when Ikora arrived at the door he sat bolt upright, hands folded in his lap. Her face said everything he needed to hear.

“He left last night.” She closed the door behind her. “He’d tried to walk out before, but someone was usually able to stop him and lead him back to bed. Cayde was the only one watching him and he managed to overpower him and ran out. We lost track of a ship this morning. He left Seoirse behind.”

Flint stood, shoving aside the stack of detritus covering the desk. “Any leads on a cure?” He asked, gripping the table.

“You won’t like it.” Ikora said. “We think the best hope is to attempt a full rez. For that to happen, he has to die first.”

“Well, he’s going to die if nobody goes out there to save him.” Flints eyes steeled.

“You may be the one to have to do it.” Her voice gentled. “And there is a small chance that this phenomenon is so light-resistant his ghost won’t be able to bring him back.”He turned to walk out the door. “I’ll find him.” He said, fingers clenching. “I’m going to find him.”

“Good luck Guardian.” She said, voice grim.

  


Flint wasn't a hunter. Nor was he used to the experience of tracking someone across unfamiliar terrain. He was however good at understanding space and it didn't take a genius to tell that last time Mint had been on Mars he'd been walking in a straight line. He had Jasper set him down along that line and started his sparrow, ready to catch up.

The trail didn't seem to meander or work around obstacles, choosing instead to go over or under them. Flint climbed mountains, walked through caves, and crossed featureless plains. The whole way he followed the trail of dropped leaves and branches.

On day three he came to a stop upon entering a gulch. Up ahead, he could see Mint, but the exo apparently hadn't noticed him yet. Flint ran through the numbers in his head and decided to creep around, using a more convenient shortcut through the canyons to cut off his advance. Slowly he traversed the ground, ready to blink out of danger at a moment's notice. His hand moved slowly towards the sidearm he kept for times like this when he didn't have the range he preferred. Still, Mint kept walking, ignoring the features of the landscape and acting like it was one of the featureless plains Flint knew so well.

As he rounded the last corner he got his first good glimpse of what Mint looked like. Vines were crawling out of his mouth, pinning it wide open. They burst from the corners of his eyes, trailing down his face like tears. They erupted from every crack, pulling open metal muscles at the seams.

Flint swallowed involuntarily. He walked towards Mint, a hand outstretched. Mint's eyes didn't stray from his path even as he walked closer until he stepped within a meter of him. Then he lunged towards Flint's head with his fingers outstretched like claws. He easily ducked the movement, stepping to the side and back.

"Mint?" He asked softly. "Do you recognize me?"

Mint snarled back at him and made another swipe.

"Mint!" He snapped. "Stop attacking me." He reached up this time to block the blow, grasping Mint's arm in his hand. It stopped for a second before breaking out of the grip with a sharp twist.

Flint continued to backpedal further, trying to avoid blow after blow from Mint. When one good swipe sent him flying to the ground, he turned and stood up, facing Mint. He reached underneath his robes for his holster and pulled out his sidearm.

"Mint, please don't make me do this." He pleaded, eyeing the man in front of him. "I love you."

Mint growled and took another step forward.

"Please, just come back with me." Flint dug his heels into the ground. Mint lurched forwards, reaching out to strike him across the face. He screwed his eyes shut and reached out, trusting the shot would strike true. His finger tightened around the trigger, and the canyon rang with the sound of a gunshot.

Flint's arm dropped slowly to his side. He opened his eyes, looking down to where Mint had fallen. Jasper stepped out, looking ready to open his mouth before backing down. He came to settle on his shoulder, nestling on him. Flint shrugged him off and knelt down to lift Mint around his shoulders. Jasper fluttered ahead towards the ship, lighting the path. Flint swept him up into a bridal carry, clutching him to his chest. They walked back slowly, fighting against the wind.

  


#### Postscript

####    


The little glances he got through the observation window were discouraging. Flint could see Mint tied down as the doctors pulled out vines like weeds, disassembling his body to do so. The skeletal remains twitched here and there and the last few were removed for disposal. Ikora sat in the corner of the room leafing through reports and working on paperwork.

He turned back, determined to keep his eyes fixed on Mint until he was back. He watched anxiously as the last weed was placed into a biohazard bin, and Seoirse was ushered into the room. Flint’s hand pressed against the glass, eyes wide and glasses nearly scraping against it. Seoirse moved until he was hovering over the table before flashing a wide beam of light. His shell opened and he glowed a bright blue. Mint’s body reconstituted himself right before his eyes, pieces falling back into place or being replaced entirely. Flint gasped, pressing to the glass as if he could fall through it and into the room.

The glass didn’t manage to completely obscure Mint’s scream. Flint’s heart caught in his throat as the doctors swarmed Mint, blocking his view. Ikora stood up and walked him out of the room, a firm hand on his arm. He walked numbly, dropping into a chair in the waiting room.

They finally let him into the hospital room hours later. He nearly ran down the hallway, barely stopping to wait for directions. Flint threw open the door, pausing to smooth down his robes and readjust his glasses.

Mint glanced up from the datapad in his hands. Cayde sat in the room with him pausing in the middle of some sort of animated story. He could feel tears about to well up in his eyes as he looked down at Mint in the hospital bed. Mint’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Who are you?” He asked simply.

Flint turned and ran.

**Author's Note:**

> You should totally google Ophiocordyceps- it's fascinating. And a little gross, so be warned.  
> This story started out as a little plot bunny that quickly ran away from me and became much larger than I anticipated (It's now officially the second-longest thing I've posted). The story changed a lot from the original quick little bit I wanted it to be into something more interesting and consequential for what will happen to these two in the future.


End file.
